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Jesus Continues Preaching – Matt 6

Most people know verses 9-13 of chapter six as the “Lord’s prayer.” But that designation is ours and is unfortunate in some ways, as there is a tendency to use it in the very way that Jesus warned against in the previous verses! It is an example and a model for our own prayers from our hearts – it was meant to teach us how to pray – with reverence and honor to the Lord, before presenting our petitions.

The references to fasting in verses 16-18 are not a command for us to fast, though there is nothing wrong with doing so. The only time that the Old Testament Law required fasting was for the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31), but many other days had been added by the people themselves, especially after the events of the destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian captivity. And by now, the Pharisees had made it a weekly activity. The problem came in the fact that people were purposely making themselves look more haggard than they were, so as to draw attention to themselves for their piety.